Electrochemical Detection of Food Colorants

Electrochemical detection of food colourants has emerged as a rapid, sensitive and cost-effective approach for monitoring synthetic dyes in beverages, confectionery and other consumables. By exploiting redox processes at electrode surfaces, these methods offer low detection limits and wide dynamic ranges without the need for extensive sample preparation. Advances in electrode design—such as the integration of graphene derivatives, metal oxide nanostructures and conducting polymers—have significantly improved sensitivity, selectivity and stability. Such modifications enhance electron transfer kinetics and promote adsorptive accumulation of analytes, enabling trace-level quantification of dyes including tartrazine, sunset yellow, amaranth and carminic acid. The practical utility of electrochemical sensors extends to on-site and point-of-care applications, supporting regulatory compliance and consumer safety. Recent efforts have focused on disposable platforms, multi-analyte detection and real-sample analysis in complex matrices. These developments underscore the global significance of electrochemical methods for ensuring food quality and protecting public health while meeting the demands of high-throughput screening and environmental sustainability.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Electrochemical Detection of Food Colorants publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in electrochemical detection of food colorants across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Electrochemical sensor: A device that detects chemical species through measurement of electrical signals generated by redox reactions at an electrode interface.

Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV): A voltammetric technique employing a series of potential pulses superimposed on a linear sweep to enhance resolution and sensitivity for analyte detection.

Limit of detection (LOD): The smallest concentration of an analyte that can be reliably distinguished from background noise, typically defined at a signal-to-noise ratio of three.

Nanocomposite: A hybrid material combining nanoscale constituents—such as metal oxides and carbon nanostructures—to achieve synergistic properties in electrochemical applications.

Electrocatalysis: The acceleration of electrode reactions by a catalyst, resulting in reduced overpotentials and increased current responses for target analytes.

References

1. Disposable Electrochemical Sensor for Food Colorants Detection by Reduced Graphene Oxide and Methionine Film Modified Screen Printed Carbon Electrode. Molecules (2021).
2. An Electrochemical Sensor Based on Carbon Paper Modified with Graphite Powder for Sensitive Determination of Sunset Yellow and Tartrazine in Drinks. Sensors (2022).
3. Simple Preparation and Characterization of Hierarchical Flower-like NiCo2O4 Nanoplates: Applications for Sunset Yellow Electrochemical Analysis. Biosensors (2022).